I had a very heart-breaking conversation with a friend recently. It involved this person’s grown child and how the child had walked away from God and seems to have no interest in doing what the Lord says. This person has walked away from godly upbringing and respect for God to live a life of sin. The events told to me remind me of the Lord’s parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). Currently, the person is currently wasting away in a life of “prodigal” or “riotous” living (Luke 15:13) and has not endured the famine yet (Luke 15:14).
As this parent talked with me, clearly deep in pain and concern for the lost child, the question was asked, “Why would (grown child) want to go off and do such wickedness?” My response was that this person saw the proverbial “forbidden fruit” and thinks this is the thing to do right now. The parent responded with words I will not forget: “Forbidden fruit rots!” Were truer words ever said?
When someone starts down the road to sin, nothing good will result unless there is repentance. James noted that sin, when it is “full-grown,” leads to death (James 1:15). The man or woman who walks the “broad way” will end up in destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). There is nothing good that can result from sin so long as we refuse to repent (Luke 13:3, 5). This is why the parent is (and I am) so concerned about the fallen child.
Please do not misunderstand. When someone is engaged in sin, it is fun! This is the appeal of sin. If sin were not enjoyable, there would be no temptation to it. If we did not satisfy the lusts of the flesh and eyes, or the pride of life through sin, what would be the point (1 John 2:15-17)? This is part of the allure of sin. For example, Moses was tempted into staying with Pharaoh because, in so doing, he could enjoy “the passing pleasure of sin” (Hebrews 11:24-25, NKJV). It was a possibility! Yet, he refused those “passing pleasures” for something more substantial. Sadly, not everyone does this.
When we speak of sin as “forbidden fruit” it hearkens back to man’s sin in the Garden (Genesis 3:1-6). Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; but they ate anyway. Satan made this fruit seem so wonderful that it would be foolish not to eat it (Genesis 3:4-5). Of course, when they ate of the tree, there was no blessing, just a curse (Genesis 3:7-24). Yes, forbidden fruit rots!
The same is true for us. Satan makes sin seem so fun and enjoyable that there could be no ill effects. “Express your individuality!” “Be free!” “Do what makes you happy!” These are the mantras that encourage us to sin. Yet, once we are involved in sin, we find they we are not individuals, but just like everyone else (Romans 3:23). We learn we have no freedom, only bondage (John 8:36; Romans 6:16). When living in sin, one is not happy, but miserable (Revelation 3:15-17).
There is no sin that we can commit that will be worth losing Heaven! Can you think of a sin that, when committed, is better than spending an eternity in Heaven? What is it? As was told to me, forbidden fruit rots!
Are you giving in to sin? How are you doing during this quarantine time and the enforcement of keeping people apart? Have we seen that Satan works on us even in these times? He does! He is encouraging us to partake of the “forbidden fruit,” but do not fall for it (James 4:7-8)! God makes a way by which we can escape temptation if we will take it (1 Corinthians 10:13). Are we doing this? Fight the Devil’s wiles and be strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10). Don’t allow him to lure you away from God and from Heaven with some rotting fruit!
Adapted from Jarrod M. Jacobs
